1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a vehicle bed assembly and to a method for making or constructing a vehicle bed assembly and more particularly, to a relatively strong vehicle bed assembly which is resistant to damage or breakage and which selectively receives items in an efficient and secure manner.
2. Background of the Invention
A vehicular bed assembly typically includes a floor bed or pan, a pair of side walls which respectively and typically include a wheel well housing, a front panel or wall, and a rear wall or panel which is typically formed upon a selectively movable tailgate which is movably mounted to the floor bed. Particularly, these members when operatively and selectively placed upon a vehicle, such as a truck, cooperatively define and provide a storage environment or xe2x80x9cstorage spacexe2x80x9d within which various items may be securely placed.
While the foregoing conventional vehicle bed assembly does provide such a desired storage space, it does have some disadvantages. By way of example and without limitation, a conventional vehicle bed assembly typically is xe2x80x9cbrokenxe2x80x9d or becomes damaged at the joint or the xe2x80x9cseamxe2x80x9d which is respectively formed between each of the side walls and the front wall due to the force (e.g., a shear type force) which acts upon these seams or joints as the vehicle is maneuvered, especially as the vehicle travels at a high rate of speed over a xe2x80x9croughxe2x80x9d surface or road.
Further, the foregoing conventional vehicle bed assembly does not easily allow items to be securely placed within the formed bed and does not allow a raised platform to be created and deployed within the formed bed assembly in a manner which allows for various levels of storage to be formed (i.e., a first storage level being defined as the surface of the provided bed and a second level being defined as the surface provided by a platform which is selectively elevated from the bed) and which thereby increases the amount of storage space provided by the formed vehicular bed.
The present invention overcomes these and other disadvantages of the present invention in a new and novel manner.
It is a first non-limiting advantage of the present invention to provide a vehicle bed assembly which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated disadvantages of prior vehicle bed assemblies.
It is a second non-limiting advantage of the present invention to provide a method for making a vehicle bed assembly which produces a vehicle bed assembly which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated disadvantages of prior vehicle bed assemblies.
It is a third non-limiting advantage of the present invention to provide a vehicle bed assembly. Particularly, the provided vehicle bed assembly includes a front panel; a first side panel; a second side panel; a floor panel which is coupled to the first and to the second side panel and which is further coupled to the front panel; a first rail which receivably overlays and which is linearly coextensive to a first of the side panels, the first rail coupling the first side panel to the front panel; and a second rail which is substantially identical to the first rail and which receivably overlays and which is linearly coextensive to the second of the side panels, the second rail coupling the second side panel to the front panel.
It is a fourth non-limiting advantage of the present invention to provide a vehicle bed assembly. Particularly, the provided vehicle bed assembly includes a first bracket having a first wall and a second wall which cooperatively form a mounting portion and the first bracket further having a third wall which orthogonally projects from the mounting portion and which is selectively coupled to a vehicular frame member; a floor bed panel which is disposed upon and is coupled to the second wall of the mounting portion; a front panel member which receives a portion of the floor bed panel and which is coupled to the first wall of the first bracket; a second bracket which receives the front panel member; a first side panel which is coupled to the floor bed panel; a second side panel which is coupled to the floor bed panel; a first rail which receives the first side panel; a second rail which receives the second side panel; a first end cap member which is disposed within the first rail and which selectively couples the first rail to the second bracket; and a second end cap member which is substantially identical to the first end cap member, which is disposed within the second rail, and which selectively couples the second rail to the second bracket.
It is a fifth non-limiting advantage of the present invention to provide a method for making a vehicular bed assembly for use on a vehicle. Particularly, the method includes the steps of providing a floor pan; providing a front panel; providing a first side panel; providing a second side panel; providing a tail gate; coupling the front panel to the floor panel; coupling the first side panel to the floor panel; coupling the second side panel to the floor panel; coupling the tail gate to the floor panel; providing a direct load path from any location on the first side panel to a portion of a vehicle; and providing a direct load path from any location on the second side panel to the portion of the vehicle, thereby forming a vehicle bed assembly.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and by reference to the following drawings